DONNA MURDOCH

Minerva’s Plan to Disrupt Universities: A Talk with CEO Ben Nelson

Minerva seemed like it would never happen when it was first announced. Although it was well funded, it seemed too ideal. They planned tuition of $10000 and students who would live in a different city each semester, delving into experience immediately and taking the actual classes online. It seemed a huge task. Then they starting announcing people who would be involved – the deans, the board of advisors – all highly respected in their fields. They recently announced their first class, which will start in the fall with 14 students (45 were accepted) and who won’t be charged tuition. This is a fascinating article with the founder, Ben Nelson. “No, these days universities also confront a much more direct challenge, from venture-backed companies using technology to reinvent the full undergraduate experience—from the structure of classwork to the composition of the faculty, the look and feel of the campus, the standards for evaluating students, and the way the whole package is priced in the market.” From Xconomy.